Scans_Daily

Bringing the crack since December 2003

Thomas Wayne acting like a jerk

A recent post sparked some comments on the role of good and bad parents in the bat mythos, and how Thomas and Martha Wayne are almost always shown as damn near perfect. I thought I'd post a few scans from Batman 430 (an issue about a rooftop sniper about to go on a killing-spree) which contains a flashback to Bruce's childhood and casts the Waynes in a different light.

This issue immediately followed Death In The Family, but there's no mention of Jason apart from one page. Thematically though, this story is all about anger, death and guilt.

I'm conflicted about this. It's pretty horrible to see Thomas Wayne backhand Bruce, but I do like the idea that Bruce's memories of his idyllic happy childhood might not quite match the reality. In particular I like the contrast between Bruce's memories of being "very, very rich" and money being zero concern, and Thomas' financial worries.

I can't imagine that Bruce would ever say " I don't love him no more". It's not just the sentiment, it's the grammar, damn it! But the brattiness and the anger over his father's rejection is all very reminiscent of the conflict between Bruce and Jason only a few issues before.

I've noticed that Starlin's Batman stories tend to have everyone acting more dickish than they do usually. Still, I really like the subtext that the events of DITF have caused Bruce to revisit his relationship with his own father and possibly to understand him better. Thomas Wayne is portrayed less than favourably here, but he's also a bit more human and fallible than he's usually shown.

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